


An Ethereal Farewell

by angelaxy



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Ghosts, Heavy Angst, Sengoku Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29509080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelaxy/pseuds/angelaxy
Summary: In the looming shadow of war, Mitsuhide departed for yet another war and he promised Reira to return home, but sometimes..A promise remained a promise.Unfulfilled.
Relationships: Mitsuhide/Reira
Collections: ` Romance Across Time `





	An Ethereal Farewell

**Author's Note:**

> idk why I did this to myself. the amount of tears I shed was ridiculous T_T  
> anyway, I put this on T rating bcs it's heavy sooo tread lightly, my friends~  
> xoxo

The full moon appeared in the black velvet sky right above the Sakamoto Castle, the soft silvery light illuminated the darkened garden across Mitsuhide's chambers.

But the night was far from tranquil.

Dreadful, frightening, with the shadow of war looming over the Castle.

Mitsuhide departed to the front a few days ago and this would be the deadliest battle he would have gone through. After the honno-ji incident, many Clans and warlords were plotting against him. Many simply held a grudge for Nobunaga’s death, but most were intending to use this chance to end the Akechi Clan.

Reira hated that there was nothing she could do to prevent this, although she did try to reduce the hatred from those neighboring clans towards Mitsuhide, she did all she could for him even with the limitations of her position.

In their chambers when the whole castle was silent and everyone was asleep, Reira was awake, sitting down behind the wooden desk and filling her time with sewing a kimono for Mitsuhide, only the sound of the night and the dim light of the lanterns were her company while she was waiting for Mitsuhide’s return.

The messenger from the front who arrived today was bearing bad news, Mitsuhide would be forced to retreat with an incredible amount of forces and enemies targeting him all at once.

The needle in her hand pierced the pad of her finger as her concentration slipped away. Reira flinched, frowning to see the crimson bead of blood and she dropped the kimono abruptly. Not because of the slight pain the needle caused, but a feeling of sudden terror. The rustle of fabric fell on her lap, she could almost feel her heart fall as well.

Her gaze darted outside the same moment when the night breeze rushed into the chambers through the wide-open doorway. “Lord Mitsuhide…” Reira whispered, refusing to hear what her instinct told her.

Nevertheless, a part of her soul knew as it lost its other half.

Heartbeats thundering aloud in her ear, she curled her hands into small fists and ignored the few drops of blood that now stained her finger.

“No.” Reira closed her eyes in denial, swallowing the hard lump in her throat. “No, it can’t be. This is only a false intuition, he’s safe out there.”

Another gust of the wind, harsher this time, snuffed out the lanterns inside the chambers.

From behind her eyelids Reira knew she was surrounded with ominous darkness, she inhaled deeply to gather herself and shut out any dreadful thoughts that surfaced.

_No. Lord Mitsuhide is alive and he will return to me._

_He promised._

A prolonged silence, then her eyes opened at the moment she smelled a mysterious scent of incense. Mitsuhide’s scent.

Reira gasped.

In the doorway Mitsuhide was smirking down to her while still wearing his armor.

“Lord Mitsuhide! You’ve returned!” With her happy exclaim, she banished every suspicion at the sight of him. All she wanted was for him to return, and there he was.

Even if she might be losing her mind.

Standing abruptly, her hasty steps against the tatami floor were aloud in the silence. Closer, and closer, her eyes remained on him, afraid if she blinked for too long or averting her gaze away he would be gone.

“Do not come closer, dear one.” Mitsuhide murmured.

“..Why?!” Reira stubbornly stepped closer, blinking confusingly, “Why does it matter? You are here, are you not?”

“Remain there. I cannot be here for long.” His smirk faltered and his expression was hard, unlike his usual one.

Confused beyond belief, Reira watched him. His face and figure obscured by the shadow as if the moonlight behind him was hiding him away. But, he was alright, unscathed, why wouldn’t he let her come closer.

“Lord Mitsuhide? Have you forgotten? I would run into your arms whenever you returned from the war..” Her voice was shaky and her legs refused to move as she stood a few feet away from Mitsuhide. “Why won’t you let me come to you…? Why are you being strange like this…?”

Mitsuhide was silent, his face was expressionless. Yet, he was the one who stepped closer, and lifted up a hand to reach for her. A gentle smile curved his mouth. “I am not supposed to do this, but— “ He simply couldn’t leave her, ever since the first time they’ve met under the moonlight, where she was dancing alone in the garden.

However, the moonlight now seemed to be unforgiving.

A part of her knew what this meant but she refused to acknowledge it. _Please, please, be true._ Reira stood unmoving as his hand reached for her cheek. _Please._

What she was waiting for didn’t come. At all.

There was no familiar brush of his cold fingertips even though his hand was there, cupping her face. Mitsuhide’s smile turned sorrowful.

“No... “ Reira breathed out, reaching up to touch his hand but all she touched was cold air.

“I haven’t returned, Reira.” His voice was eerie and grievous at once and he pulled his hand away.

Shaking her head abruptly, Reira refused his confession. “But you’re here now! You returned to me, Lord Mitsuhide!” Her lips were trembling and sobs threatening to burst forth. “Don’t lie to me.”

He stepped away hesitantly, returning to stand in the doorway. “I am here for a farewell.”

“You are lying!” Reira was unable to hold off her angry sobs, tears falling down from her eyes. He seemed blurry now, luminous with the moonlight almost shining _through_ him. “I won’t allow you to leave me anymore, not even to war. You must stay!” The smirk that appeared in his mouth was painful for her to see.

It was not his usual mischievous smirk.

It was so full of sorrow, mirroring her current emotion.

“...Stay with me.” Reira moved in her instinct and walked towards him. “You promised to return.”

“I have not much time.” He said with an apologetic tone.

Her arms reached out to him, but her fingers went through his figure — he was nothing but a thick mist. “Stay… You can tease me as much as you want, make me angry, just.. stay.” Reira pleaded through her broken sobs, her body was shaking miserably, all the desperation flowed with her tears as she stared up to him.

“I wish, but I cannot.” Mitsuhide closed their distance, bending down a little to place a kiss over her lips.

The cold air brushed her lips, not the warmth of his kiss, and the harsh truth forcefully gripped her heart. _He died. He died and he’s not coming home._ Reira began to cry miserably as she realized his figure became more luminous like how the morning mist disappeared, slowly but surely. “This is a lie, I can’t accept this!”

Mitsuhide smiled for the last time, staring down intently as if to cherish the last sight of his beloved. “Farewell, my dear.”

In the most beautiful and breathtaking way, the ethereal silver moonlight engulfed his figure until he began to vanish into the thin air, wearing a sorrowful smile as he disappeared entirely.

“No! Lord Mitsuhide!” Reira ran out of the chambers to the corridor, stepping down to the garden in hope to find him standing there, or anywhere near. But no, _nothing_ , no sight of Mitsuhide. At last, she turned her gaze heavenward and shouted to the sky, “No, come back!!”

Mitsuhide was no longer there, not even a trace of his familiar incense scent — it disappeared along with his presence.

Only the full moon, the stars, and the black velvet sky that mourned along with her. Crying alone in the darkened garden, Reira dropped to her knees, hopelessly, and helplessly. Crystalline tears trailed along her face and her shoulders were trembling, while the dirt stained her kimono. Her heart was scarred permanently, it won’t ever be whole again, Mitsuhide’s death would tear her apart for the rest of her life.

Shock, disbelief, anger mixed within her tears.

And grief that consumed her heart and soul.

An unrivaled, immense grief.


End file.
